Chapter on Spoils Specially Belonging to the Imam (Anfal)

Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddal, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Sayf ibn Umayrah, from Abu al-Sabbah, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: "We (Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام) are a people whose obedience Allah سبحانه وتعالى has made obligatory. The spoils (anfal) belong to us, and the chosen portion of the wealth belongs to us, and we (Imams عليه السلام) are those firmly rooted in knowledge, and we are the envied ones about whom Allah سبحانه وتعالى the Exalted said, 'Or do they envy the people for what Allah سبحانه وتعالى has given them from His سبحانه وتعالى bounty?'" (Surah An-Nisa 4:54)

And from him, from Hammad, from Hariz, from Zurarah, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “What does Allah سبحانه وتعالى say, ‘They ask you about the spoils (anfal). Say: The spoils belong to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم"? (Surah Al-Anfal 8:1) Imam عليه السلام said: "The spoils belong to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to the blessed Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, and they are every land whose people evacuated it without horses, nor men, nor riding camels being brought against it. So it is a spoil (nafl) for Allah سبحانه وتعالى and for the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family."

And from him, from Muhammad ibn Salim, from Abdullah ibn Sinan, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: (Imam عليه السلام was asked) regarding ‘war booty (spoils).’ Imam عليه السلام said: "The khums is extracted from it, and what remains is divided among those who fought over it and undertook that. As for fay and the spoils (anfal), they are exclusively for the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family."

And from him, from Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from Hammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: He (narrator) heard Imam عليه السلام saying: "Indeed, the spoils (anfal) are whatever land there was in which there was no spilling of blood, or a people who made settlement and gave with their own hands. So whatever was from ruined land, or the interiors of valleys, then all of this is from fay'. And the spoils (anfal) belong to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. So whatever belongs to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, then it belongs to the blessed Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم; The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم places it wherever He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم desires."

Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddal, from Muhammad ibn Ali, from Abu Jamilah, who said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan narrated to me, from his father, from Abu Jamilah, from Muhammad ibn Ali al-Halabi, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام: I (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘the spoils (anfal).’ Imam عليه السلام said: "Whatever was from the lands whose people have perished, and in other than that, the spoils, it belongs to us (Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام)." And Imam عليه السلام said: "Surat al-Anfal contains the cutting off of the nose." And Imam عليه السلام said: "'Whatever Allah سبحانه وتعالى restored to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم from them, you did not drive against it any horses or riding camels, but Allah سبحانه وتعالى gives His messengers authority over whom He سبحانه وتعالى wills.'" (Surah Al-Hashr 59:6) And Imam عليه السلام said: "Fay' is whatever was from properties in which there was no spilling of blood or killing, and the spoils are like that; they are in its position."

Sa'd ibn Abdullah, from Abu Ja'far, from Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqi, from Isma'il ibn Sahl, from Hammad ibn Isa, from Hariz ibn Abdullah, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, who said: I heard Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, saying, when Imam عليه السلام was asked about ‘the spoils (anfal).’ Imam عليه السلام said: "Every village whose people perish or evacuate from it, then it is a spoil (nafl) for Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic. Half of it is divided among the people, and half of it belongs to the blessed Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family. So whatever belonged to the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, then it belongs to the Imam (of Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام)."

And from him, from Abu Ja'far, from Uthman ibn Isa, from Sama'ah ibn Mihran, who said: I (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘the spoils (anfal).’ Imam عليه السلام said: "Every ruined land, or anything that belonged to the kings (al-muluk), then it is exclusively for the Imam (of the Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام); the people have no share in it." And Imam عليه السلام said: "And among them is Bahrain; horses and riding camels were not driven against it (for when it was conquered)."

Al-Husayn ibn Sa'id, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Jawhari, from Rifa'ah ibn Musa, from Aban ibn Taghlib, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: (Imam عليه السلام was asked) regarding ‘a man who dies and has no heir and no client (mawla).’ Imam عليه السلام said: "He is from the people mentioned of this verse: 'They ask you about the spoils (anfal).'" (Surah Al-Anfal 8:1)

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub, from Ahmad ibn Hilal, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Aban ibn Uthman, from Abu Basir, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘the chosen portion of the wealth.’ Imam عليه السلام said: "It belongs to the Imam (of Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام). He takes the beautiful slave-girl, the excellent mount, the cutting sword, and the armor before the booty is divided. This is the chosen portion of the wealth."

Ali ibn al-Hasan, from Sindi ibn Muhammad, from Ala, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) heard Imam عليه السلام saying: "Fay and the spoils (anfal) are whatever land there was in which there was no spilling of blood, and a people who made settlement and gave with their own hands, and whatever was from ruined land or the interiors of valleys, then all of it is from fay. So this belongs to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family. Whatever belongs to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, then it belongs to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family; He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم places it wherever He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم wills. And it belongs to the Imam عليه السلام, peace be upon him, after the blessed Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family. And the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, 'As for the gains Allah سبحانه وتعالى has turned over to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم from them, that you did not (even) spur on any horse or camel for such gains'" (Surah Al-Hashr 59:6) Imam عليه السلام said: "Do you not see? It is this (Fay and the spoils). As for the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, ‘As for gains granted by Allah سبحانه وتعالى to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم from the people of (other) lands,' this is in the position of war booty. (Surah Al-Hashr 59:7) My father عليه السلام, peace be upon him, used to say, 'That, and we have nothing in it except two shares: the share of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the share of the near relative. Then we are partners with the people in what remains.'"

Sa'd ibn Abdullah, from Abu Ja'far, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Sayf ibn Umayrah, from Dawud ibn Farqad, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: "The land grants of the kings (qata'i al-muluk), all of them, belong to the Imam (of Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام), and the people have nothing in them."

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Saffar, from al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn Bashshar, from Ya'qub, from al-Abbas al-Warraq, from a man whom he named, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: "If a people go on a military expedition without the permission of the Imam (of Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام) and gain booty, the entire booty belongs to the Imam (of Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام). And if they go on a military expedition by the command of the Imam (of Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام) and gain booty, then the khums belongs to the Imam (of Ahlul Bayt عليه السلام)."